MESM: Wetland, Watershed, and Ecosystem Science

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1 MESM: Wetland, Watershed, and Ecosystem Science This specialization focuses on the science and management of ecosystems at all scales from landscape to interstitial. Students may concentrate studies in the ecology, management, and conservation of inland or coastal wetlands, streams or lakes in watershed science and management, particularly land usewater resource interactions; in the ecology and management of forests for human use and biodiversity; or in soil ecology, including bioremediation of organic pollutants.

2 Program Overview Students take courses from natural science: ecosystem science and management; earth science, water resources, hydrology, soils, and spatial analysis. In addition coursework can include statistics environmental planning, policy, law, and economics. Track Chair: Dr. Art Gold

3 Ecosystem Science and Management UNEP: United Nations Environmental Programme

4 Scale ranges from microbial to watershed and global Areas of Interest: Environmental monitoring and mapping Ecohydrology Ecosystem services Pollution assessment/abatement Lake and estuarine eutrophication Habitat and hydrologic restoration Watershed dynamics of flow and nutrients Climate change adaptation

5 Potential Focus Areas Green Infrastructure (LID) Wetlands assessment and management Water Quality Monitoring Watershed management Stream flow/continuity/environmental flows Soil Interpretations Soil certification possible Groundwater Protection Pollution abatement strategies

6 Private sector opportunities within WWE track

7 Track Requirements Core courses (21-25 credits), including: Natural Sciences (12-16 credits) - Ecosystem Science & Management (at least 6 credits) - Earth Science, Soils & Spatial Analysis (at least 3 credits) Social Sciences (6 credits) Quantitative Methods (3 credits) Elective courses (6-10 credits) Independent study (3 credits: EVS 597) Graduate seminar (2 credits)

8 Track Requirements con t Natural Science Core Courses NRS 406 Wetland Wildlife NRS 423 Wetland Ecology NRS 525 Wetland Field Investigations NRS 426 Microbial Ecology NRS 450,452 Soil Conservation and Land Use NRS 461 Watershed Hydrology & Management NRS 471 Soil Morphology & Mapping NRS/BIO 585 Salt Marsh Ecology NRS 501 Restoration Ecology NRS 518 Ecohydrology NRS 526 Microbial Ecology of Soils and Sediments GEO 484 Environmental Geohydrology GEO 482 Innovative Subsurface Remediation 4 cr. 4 cr. 1 cr 3 cr. 4 cr. 4 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 4 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. 3 cr. Social Science Courses Community Planning (CPL) Environmental Law Writing and Rhetoric!!!! NRS 555 Applied Coastal Ecology Hazwopper course ENRE MAF courses MAF 465 GIS Applic in Coastal and Marine Envir. Plus GIS courses and possible certificate

9 CE WQ Internship and Major Paper Opportunities NRS dept NEMO : Nonpoint Education for Nonpoint Education Publications Storm water Training Manual Workshops Home-A-Syst: Pollution Prevention at the Household Scale Private Wells (workshops) Source water protection Landscaping for Water Res Protection Watershed Watch: Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program Info Water Quality Fact Sheets Monitoring Data Onsite Wastewater Training Center Course Schedule Innovative and Alternative Systems (Creating a Mgmt Plan)

10 Internship and Major Paper Opportunities NRS dept Management of RI Forests for Wildlife Habitat Conservation Stewardship

11 Internships and Opportunities with NRS Faculty labs URI Watershed Hydrology Lab The Laboratory of Soil Ecology and Microbiology Laboratory of Pedology and Soil Environmental Science Wetland Ecology Lab

12 Internships and Opportunities with URI Partners URI Outreach Center Landscape Restoration - Coastal Buffers Environmental Ed Sustainable Systems Rhody Native URI Coastal Resources Center URI Coastal Institute Narr Bay Watershed Counts Development

13 Internships and Opportunities with State, Federal and NGO Partners RI DEM Office of Water Resources EPA Atlantic Ecology Lab Save the Bay NRCS- RI

14 Potential Focus Areas Green Infrastructure (LID) Wetlands assessment and management Water Quality Monitoring Watershed management Stream flow/continuity/environmental flows Soil Interpretations Groundwater Protection Pollution abatement strategies

15 Past Major Paper Topics Name Topic Audience Patricia Hickey Rob Hancock Caitlin Chaffee Matt Deane Mapping onsite wastewater treatment needs, risks, and management options Sea Level Rise Impacts on Salt Marshes Benthic Indices of Biota Integrity RI Stormwater Mgmt: Current Status and Tools for Program Improvement EPA; State and Local Officials Local Officials, Conservancies Volunteer, Local and State Water Quality Assessment Programs State and local officials

16 Patricia Hickey, Stewardship Director for Marin Agricultural Land Trust 40,000+ acres in Land Trust: Habitat restoration; nutrient mgmt, easements; carbon sequestration Recommended Courses: GIS/RS; Wetlands, Soils, Hydrology and Community Planning Interned with CRC and URI NEMO Major Paper: Guidance document on community-based wastewater mgmt -- EPA

17 Patricia Hickey, MESM

18 Rob Hancock, VP, Education and Public Engagement, Coalition for Buzzards Bay Duties: Youth education; workshops for decisionmakers; manages education centers (New Bedford, Woods Hole); coordinates all communications and media relations will host MESM Interns Recommended Courses: Watershed Hydrology; GIS; Wetlands; Landscape Ecology, Coastal Zone Law Part-time student; worked with STB My major paper, Sea Level Rise Impacts on Salt Marshes, didn't directly lead to my job but it provides credibility. I can address issues on several levels Advice: Start Major Paper early, define and refine your topic

19 Rob Hancock, MESM

20 Caitlin Chaffee, Coastal Policy Analyst, RI CRMC Coastal habitat and restoration; stormwater mgmt; shoreline buffers CRMC will host interns Courses: Watershed Hydrology, GIS, Wetlands, Envir. Law Interned with CE Water Quality program. First job after MESM was with URI Outreach Center to improve mgmt of shoreline buffers Major Paper: Temporal variability and subsample size on macroinvertebrate indices of stream quality My MESM major paper helped me with statistical methods, and how to write a major research paper the subject was less important. I would recommend a topic with greater implications for management.

21 Matt Deane, MESM 2013 Wetland Scientist at GZA GeoEnvironmental Out of class experiences during MESM RIPDES Stormwater Permitting Volunteer at Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Low Impact Development Atlas Manager at URI Non-point Education for Municipal Officials Program Director of Water Resource Programs at Southern Rhode Island Conservation District

22 Matt Deane s MESM Program Ecohydrology Wetland Ecology Major Paper: Wetlands and Land Use State and Municipal Stormwater Soil Conservation and Land Use Mgmt in Rhode Island: Current Applied Coastal Ecosystems Status and Tools for Program Hydrogeology Improvement Environmental Planning Environmental Law Fundamentals of GIS GIS Analysis of Environmental Data Concepts of GIS in Environmental Science Statistical Methods in Research HAZWOPER

23 Eivy Monroy, Environmental Scientist/ Engineer; Southern RI Conservation Districts Recommended Courses: Watershed Hydrology; GIS; Wetlands; Ecohydrology, Soils. Suggestions for Major Paper - Find a tractable question. The topic does not set your professional direction - If it requires data, it would be better these data are readily available - Communicate with adviser as much as possible to clarify objectives and deliverables - Focus on why is this important and why others should care? Major paper, Water Use Conflicts in East Africa, used an existing UN model analyze a multi-faceted problem.

24 Careers Graduates find employment with federal and state resource management and regulatory agencies, municipal government, nongovernmental conservation organizations, and private environmental consulting firms. State Agencies Department of Environmental Management; Coastal Resources Management Council Federal Agencies United States Geologic Survey; Natural Resources Conservation Service Private Consulting Firms Geospatial Information Systems; Soils; Wetlands; Hydrology expertise often sought NGOs Conservancies; Watershed Councils